Project Description

EVA Production plant from Formosa Plastic Group is a chemical plant that produces Ethyl-Vinyl-Acetate in different production grades.

EVA production is done in a long line tubular reactor (1400m) and it needs very specific conditions for EVA polymerisation based on reactor stable pressure and temperature.

Furthermore, it is required periodic gas sudden expansions for 2 different purposes:

1. Stop the reaction: This periodical depressurisation stops the reaction avoiding the temperature in the reactor to increase uncontrolled.
2. Remove pipe fouling: sudden depressurisation lead into gas expansion and consequently gas velocity increases. This high speed gas allows the removal of the product stick on the reactor pipe internal layer.

Also, in this specific process it is required to keep the pressure deep very controlled to ensure that the reaction is not interrupted during a very long period that may cause production loses.

The pressure deep is controlled by the time the reactor export valve is kept open. This time is managed by DCS operators that increases the time in steps of 20ms to increase / decrease the bumping time.

CPC implemented an algorithm that regulates this time automatically keeping the bumping deep within the required limits (stablished by operators) ensuring that the production is optimised continuously.

Together with this enhancement, CPC Engineering included in the control room our Fast monitoring tool that ensures very fast records (below 50ms) which are critical for process monitoring and troubleshooting in this type of process.